Pipelines can be separated into expansion blocks which can compensate for temperature-caused deformations of the pipeline. Saddle supports may be installed at the ends of each expansion block. Saddle supports may be installed during a process of laying constructed and reconstructed above-ground pipelines of various diameters and various pressures.
Various different saddle supports and methods for installing the saddle supports are known in the art.
For example, a “pipeline support device” according to Canadian patent No. CA1232255 is relatively easy to construct. It provides an option to adjust a height of the pipeline. The support is a massive, flat support on which an axial element, or stand, is attached. The pipeline is attached to the stand by a brace. The brace has a bolt fixture. If the height of the pipeline is changed, the height of the brace may be shifted upwards or downwards along the stand to match the pipeline.
This pipeline support device may be used for small diameter pipelines (up to 325 mm), however, it is not applicable for major pipelines.
An option to change a position of a pipeline's support is also disclosed by Chinese utility patent No. CN201884792. This patent relates to a pipeline support that includes a top support and a lower supporting shaft. The pipeline is installed on the top support and is located on transverse shafts. Vertical supports that are firmly fixed to the supporting shaft are hollow. Axes with threads are installed into the vertical supports. The support is maintained at its vertical position due to wringing. The shifting mechanism is protected from external effects, which suggests the possibility of operating such device under virtually all weather conditions. Moreover, the device contains a minimal number of detachable joints which also increases longevity of the device's fixture. The pipeline is loosely installed on the top support, which provides the option of applying this support in pipelines having any diameter.
The method for changing the height of this support is quite labor-intensive. This is because the axes with threads are under constant pressure from the weight of the pipeline having the transported product. Thus, one needs to unload the weight to maintain the axes' position. In order to change the height, one must lift the pipeline using lifting mechanisms.
RF utility patent No. 64315 discloses an adjustable support that contains a foundation and a saddle. The support is equipped with wedges that are symmetrically located on a base and linked to each other using a pair of screws, allowing free movement along the support surface. The pipeline's saddle is supported by planks and ribs, the ribs are coupled to the planks at right angles, and the planks are installed on sloped surfaces of wedges. Before installation of the support, the pipeline is lifted and fixed. The support is freed from the assembly for transportation. The foundation is laid with closed wedges at a medium position on a concrete pillar or a pile. With the help of the screw support, the wedges are opened up and the saddle is installed on sloped surfaces of wedges using planks. The saddle is put under the pipeline in such way that a support surface on the saddle, such as a gasket, is parallel to the internal surface of the pipeline. The pipeline is put down after preliminarily lubricating surfaces of the planks, the wedges, and the screw threads.
A method of installation and adjusting a pipeline support is described in RF patent No. 2335685, titled “adjustable support of the closed loop pipeline”. The method may be used for construction of self-compensating, above-ground major pipelines. The major pipeline and a saddle of its support include two vibratory sensors. A strain sensor is installed on the major pipeline. The closed loop system gives a command to lift the saddle if the signals of vibratory sensors are different. Lifting of the major pipeline's saddle stops in response to a signal from the strain sensor.
This invention and the method to control its position are difficult to apply under permafrost conditions and critically low temperatures, such as those experienced in the Extreme North. This is due to the likelihood of damage to the sensors.
The closest analog to the present disclosure is implemented using an adjustable screw force-measuring support of a pipeline, disclosed by RF patent No. 85974. A support contains a saddle linked to movable power-operated weight measuring mechanisms and movable power-operated mechanisms, such as screw jacks, by nuts. The weight measuring mechanisms are positioned on stands of the support. Power-measuring devices are installed under the jacks.
The method of adjusting a height of this support is quite labor-intensive because threaded axes are under constant pressure from the weight of the pipeline and the transported product. Thus, the axes must be unloaded to adjust the position. To adjust the height, the pipeline must be lifted using a lifting mechanism. Thus, this method can only be implemented for pipelines having a small diameter.
The objective of the disclosure is to provide an option for precise setup of a height and a slope of a pipeline support during assembly of the pipeline, and an option to adjust the height of the pipeline during its operation.
The result achieved using the method of the disclosure is increased stability, strength and immovability of the construction under high pressure and an opportunity to change the height of the pipeline's support during use.